My new African Grey Parrot is scared !

[mayssa_kiwi]

I bought an African Grey Parrot I don't know how old is he if he is an adult or not, every time I approach to him he shouts and go crazy if I talk to him from far he is calm. How can I let him get use to me ?

 

Thank You

 

<br><br>Post edited by: mayssa_kiwi, at: 2009/08/25 17:59

[judygram]

From the looks of the picture in your avatar your grey is not a baby, more of an adult but as far as how old I can't tell.

 

You are going to have to give this bird some time to get used to his new home, he is in a strange to him place with new owners and he has to have time to settle in and feel comfortable so don't rush him into something he doesn't want right now.

 

Just leave him alone for a couple of days, don't go any closer than he is comfortable with and as the days go by get closer but talk to him softly and let him see you doing things.

 

Him being more of an adult grey it takes longer for him to settle in versus a baby and you will have to be very patient with him.

 

Try and read as many of the threads here for lots of useful info and take your time with him, he will eventually allow you to have closer contact with him but you have to earn his trust first.

[tanyab]

Bringing home a older grey is hard but like Judy said give him some time.Its hard to be patient but at the end it will be such a joy. He will come around just work on HIS time. When I brought phoebe home she sat on her porch for 2weeks before even trying to act like she wanted to come closer to me. Now,we are friends but still working on trust.

[Luvparrots]

Hi Mayssa, sounds like your new grey needs more time to get use to his new home. So talk to him calmly and tell him what you are doing while you are cleaning and reburishing his food and water. Some members even read to their greys to let them know they are not a threat. Patience and love will be rewarded a thousand fold with a wonderful forever companion.

[she]

Time will help. Your grey is scared and unsure at the moment,give him time and just talk to him,slowly on his terms you will be able to interact more.

[inc0gnito]

I got a hand me down African grey from a family in Dubai who were leaving the UAE. They used to keep him in a far away corner of their villa. He is in pretty bad shape with absolutely no or very little human interaction. He is just like this one described in this thread. He is incredibly scared. I cannot even come close to his cage without him screaming wildy or growling more like. This one is almost 2 years or 1 year old. He is considerably larger than my previous Grey who died. When its time to clean the cage or refill the feeder and water he raises a huge storm. Its only been 3 days since I got him.

 

I played a Youtube clip of some other greys and he got so excited and "happy". So now I play such clips for him whenever I need him to calm down or just be in a happy mood. But its tough going. I was hoping for a Grey who would just start playing with me like my previous one. But this one will require a LOT of time. Oh well. I was considering returning him but he has shown some very little improvements and he seemed so... needy of attention and loving I just couldn't justify returning him to his previous owners who anyway will give him up to somebody else then.

 

The funny thing is when you put a bedsheet on yourself and approach him, like a Ghost.. lol. He is not afraid at all. Its the Human aspect that scares him a lot. I wonder what they've been doing with him.

Edited August 30, 2012 by inc0gnito

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

As he is around two, he is truly a baby! Let us help you, to offer him the opportunity to be the best bird! He is just a baby. The damage can be reversed. Nancy

[inc0gnito]

Still working on him or her. I can't really tell. Though it seems like a Male. He has a heavier voice than my previous grey. Today made a little progress again. Today he didn't growl at me while I refilled his feeder. Well I think that had more to do with the fact that I was quick and he was maybe half asleep. Lets see if it can be duplicated tomorrow. Gotta get him to stop growling at anyone who even looks at him. lol.

[Timbersmom]

Actually, in grey time, that's pretty good progress!

[inc0gnito]

So since yesterday I have initiated a new technique. I have a long metal rod (its about 14 inches). What I do is I bring it slowly upto his face. Initially he growled just a little and then he went forward and gave it a little bite. I immediately clicked and pulled the stick away. I have done this routine atleast 10 times everyday. And now he doesn't growl that much at all. Its only been 2 days since I've been doing this. As soon as he nimbles it or bites it I pull it away from him and do a click in favor, like he's done a good thing. So far he's responding much better. The idea is that the stick is perceived as an extension of me. So hopefully in the future I won't need the stick and he would be comfortable with me approaching him. I don't have any treats to give him. All i got are sunflower seeds and his pellet food. Neither of which he accepts from me unless its in his feeder and he is left alone.

 

Another new issue I've been facing is that once he gets out of his cage, he enjoys sitting on top of it and doesn't want to go back in. Well maybe for food he will but this usually happens when no one is around to quickly shut the door once he is in. So its really hard to get him back in the cage. I read online and lots of people said that if you have to get him in the cage and there simply is no time you can try to use a towel to lift him, but given that he is afraid I don't want to add to his misery. Is there any technique or recommendation of how to get him to go back on his own; since I can't really get close to him without him raising a storm!

[Momo]

hi incognito,

i also have a wild caught CAG which he really scared of everything and zero confident.for the first 4 months all i can do is food management for him which he must to come inside his cage for dinner time.i dont feed him too much while afternoon so he will feel quite hungry and need to go inside for dinner.this is the most simple and safe way to make a scary bird to come back inside.

and now he start to trust me and he is sure i will not do anything to harm him and i start to towel him to come back inside his cage.he is quite scared at beginning but our relationship still fine and nothing change.slowly i teach him a command ''go home'' with pointing to his cage door and IF he dsnt come back it means towel will come.this works for me very well,everytime he try to not obey me i will show him his towel and he will go inside.

i never use a different towel because i dont want to terrified him for many color and object so i always use the same towel to train him,he knows his own towel very well .be sure when u catch him with towel,lift him gently and talk softly to him.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

Toweling, may work for some. I don't believe in it. It should be for " emergencies" only.( in case of fire!). If bird won't stepdown, drop them off on front of floor, in front of cage. Let me know, how it worked. Nancy

[inc0gnito]

Alright. So I used a towel to save my own skin and sort of nudge him over the side of the cage. He didn't fall or anything but sort of climbed down and into it by himself. Ever since then he climbs out and after a little bit of wing flapping and chirping he walks around the top of the cage and then just goes back inside the cage by himself. This is good. He has sort of become subdued a little bit. Doesn't growl as often as he normally did. I got him a toy ball which he broke in just 10 mins. I fixed it up and gave it back to him. So he seems entertained a little in his cage. But the cage is rarely ever closed, he still sits in the furthest corner of it. Only comes up to the front to eat his food and water. He is still scared if anyone so much as stares at him from across the room. But atleast he isn't growling as much. So I feel he is improving pretty fast.

 

Lets see where this goes. I was gonna try to spray some water on him, just to see if he likes it or not. I think he really needs a bath.

[Timbersmom]

I hope he enjoys the spray. Timber sure does, but I have read here that not all do. Glad to hear he isn't growling as much, which is probably a sign he is "getting used to" his new environment. It sounds like he just needs time. Have you tried sitting close to the cage and just reading to him or anything? I know I've seen that suggested here. They feel safer in the cage, which is why he goes to the furthest corner. With Timber, my interactions with him started through the bars. He wasn't as fearful of my hands with the bars between us. I'd just touch his beak or feet and talk softly to him so he would get used to my hands and know I wasn't going to hurt him.

[inc0gnito]

I hope he enjoys the spray. Timber sure does, but I have read here that not all do. Glad to hear he isn't growling as much, which is probably a sign he is "getting used to" his new environment. It sounds like he just needs time. Have you tried sitting close to the cage and just reading to him or anything? I know I've seen that suggested here. They feel safer in the cage, which is why he goes to the furthest corner. With Timber, my interactions with him started through the bars. He wasn't as fearful of my hands with the bars between us. I'd just touch his beak or feet and talk softly to him so he would get used to my hands and know I wasn't going to hurt him.

 

Oh no I tried touching him through the bars. He backs up and growls immediately. This guy is one scared CAG. So I take it real slow with him. As long as he keeps showing positive signs like less growling I am happy. I do sit next to his cage and talk to him. Sometimes he just listens, other times he will growl at every word. So I have to shutup or step a few steps back and then talk softly. But like I said he is improving.

 

The day he lets me touch him without growling is the day I will declare the entire process a success. lol. Hopefully at his rate it wont be long. The stick nibble technique seems to be the one that gives really positive results right away!

[Sarasota]

When my wild caught TAG first came home I couldn't handle him at all and he was completely untrained. His old cage allowed him to step out on a ledge...mine didn't work. While I waited for a new cage he stayed in the old one. I taught him to follow a target stick from the outside of the cage. When we got the new cage, he simply followed the target stick in and out.

 

Now, he's trained to get on a rope perch so I can move him around (he's also fully flighted). He doesn't like wood to step up on (he actually yells, "Burt! Step Up! NOOO! - so I have an idea he had an aversive experience with a wood stick and stepping up), so the rope works well.

 

Good luck! I hope to hear more about you and your progress!

[inc0gnito]

When my wild caught TAG first came home I couldn't handle him at all and he was completely untrained. His old cage allowed him to step out on a ledge...mine didn't work. While I waited for a new cage he stayed in the old one. I taught him to follow a target stick from the outside of the cage. When we got the new cage, he simply followed the target stick in and out.

 

Now, he's trained to get on a rope perch so I can move him around (he's also fully flighted). He doesn't like wood to step up on (he actually yells, "Burt! Step Up! NOOO! - so I have an idea he had an aversive experience with a wood stick and stepping up), so the rope works well.

 

Good luck! I hope to hear more about you and your progress!

 

Omg! That's exactly with this guy. He doesn't like the wooden stick to step on. He likes the colorful ropes though. Mine doesn't say any words though. He just squawks like a crow. I would take the squawk as a form of communication but the Growl is a Growl. Good thing he is showing really good improvements. Today I was able to put my hand in the cage and adjust his toys around the cage. He seemed a little nervous but didn't growl at all. Although it seemed he was really close to growling but he just looked on in curiosity. Thats Improvement!

 

And I got him back in the cage by simply the laying the towel on the cage next to him. He just slowly makes his way all by himself back in the cage. Didn't make a peep. Also I changed his diet today, just a little. Reduced the sunflower seeds drastically and added some of those Harvey's bird food pellets. My previous CAG absolutely hated the pellets but it got used to it eventually... before it died sadly.

Edited September 6, 2012 by inc0gnito

[inc0gnito]

Here he is. In all his glory and grouchy self.

 

[Sarasota]

He's absolutely beautiful. And I think you are doing a great job. Don't worry about over doing it on treats...now is the time. When Burt got nervous about me in his cage, I would offer him an almond (his favorite).

 

This is Burt now (sorry, video is kinda lame). He's a trooper!

[Timbersmom]

He's a pretty bird! You are doing great!

 

Sara, enjoyed the video! I've been thinking about doing a little "training" with Timber but can't decide what to do. I'm trying to come up with something he would enjoy doing that would keep him thinking, like a ring toss of some kind.

[inc0gnito]

He's absolutely beautiful. And I think you are doing a great job. Don't worry about over doing it on treats...now is the time. When Burt got nervous about me in his cage, I would offer him an almond (his favorite).

 

This is Burt now (sorry, video is kinda lame). He's a trooper!

 

Wow! You really are good at this! Are those sunflower seeds you are giving him as treats? Without the shells? He likes those? hmm... I might have to try that. How long did it take you to train him to turn around and how'd you go about doing it? I am just curious.

[Sarasota]

Wow! You really are good at this! Are those sunflower seeds you are giving him as treats? Without the shells? He likes those? hmm... I might have to try that. How long did it take you to train him to turn around and how'd you go about doing it? I am just curious.

 

Well, thank you! But it's mostly Burt.

 

Those are unshelled, unsalted (raw) sunflower seeds. He's only getting about 1/3 of a seed. I trained everything by shaping (at times you can see me giving him cues off to the side). The turn took about two sessions, 5-10 minutes a piece. With Sondheim, it took double the time. Sondhi is less motivated and younger.

 

I used a clicker and shaped tiny movements. Looking over shoulder, click. Moving feet to the left, click. I also used the seed as a tiny "lure" (holding it under him and having him follow it) And so on and so on until he was turning in a full circle. During that, I added the hand cue. It can be difficult to hold the clicker in one hand and seed in the other. I only use the clicker when training new behaviors. It's phased out pretty quick once the bird gets the cue.

 

The next behavior I train, I'll record the sessions.

[katana600]

He is a beautiful grey. Even though he looks wary and watchful he doesn't look so scared a panicked. You are doing a good job of going slowly to make friends and let him know your intentions for him are loving and good. When he sees you bringing him food and good things and waiting for him to come to you he will relax more as time with you goes well for him. What is his name?

[inc0gnito]

He is a beautiful grey. Even though he looks wary and watchful he doesn't look so scared a panicked. You are doing a good job of going slowly to make friends and let him know your intentions for him are loving and good. When he sees you bringing him food and good things and waiting for him to come to you he will relax more as time with you goes well for him. What is his name?

 

His name is Motu. Its a slang for being Fat and lazy.

 

Oh he is scared or apprehensive alright. If he is out of the cage, sitting on top of it and he sees anyone approaching from 20 feet away he starts getting all agitated. Doesn't scream anymore but he does start shivering. So you have to approach him really slowly - no sudden movements of your hands or feet. I usually talk to him softly while approaching him. That eases him just a little.

 

I have taken away all of his Sunflower seeds and he is now on a Harrison's pellet diet. What I've noticed is that he is willing to do some extra work for a little bit of sunflower seeds. He absolutely loves them. So he has become just a tad bit bolder. So I decided to get a tad bit bolder myself and tried to feed him by hand. I poured a few seeds on my hand and slowly offered it to him. He immediately growled and moved back. I kept my hand really still in front of him, like 5 or 6 inches away. He stopped growling but would not approach it. Although I could tell he really wanted those sunflower seeds. lol.

 

He is really scared bird. He will growl if you put your palm anywhere on his cage. But just for a while and then he would be glued watching your hand and any tiniest of movement of your fingers and he will growl again. Its really a game of patience between me and him. Some days I too get impatient with him and some days it he surprises me just a little. Like I said, as long as he keeps showing some little improvements I am all game. Here's hoping.

[Timbersmom]

Time and patience! Sounds like you are doing great to me. Keep offering him the seed in your hand and I suspect Motu will decide it is worth the risk in time. It is like a hump to get over. Once he takes that first seed from your hand it will get easier and easier for him I'm guessing!